Board Delays Decision About Historic Buildings

FORT LAUDERDALE -- The fate of historic buildings on South Andrews Avenue will not be decided until at least July after the city`s Planning and Zoning Board delayed a decision on the issue.

The rundown buildings, on Andrews just north of the New River, formed the hub of city commerce in the 1920s. Those who favor their preservation include city officials, the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and the city`s Historic Preservation Board. But some area developers and the city`s Downtown Development Authority want the future of the buildings decided by free enterprise.

The controversial topic drew a large crowd last Thursday evening when the Planning Board considered a proposal to make the buildings part of a new historic district. It would reach two blocks north of the New River between the Florida East Coast Railway and South Andrews Avenue.

The Planning Board decided to defer the question, however, until city planners refine their zoning proposals for the area. In the meantime, the board suggested the buildings be protected until a final decision is reached, perhaps at the board`s next meeting on July 16, said Janel Larson, an associate city planner.